Aldermen approve request to rezone property and sales of city-owned properties; vote to spend so-called “ARP funds” and more.
The New Bern Board of Aldermen covered several topics during their regular meeting on Nov. 25, 2025 at City Hall in New Bern, NC.
Consent Agenda
The aldermen approved the consent agenda with Trey Ferguson (Ward 1), Hazel Royal (Ward 2), “Bobby” Aster (Ward 3), Barbara Best (Ward 5) and Dana Outlaw (Ward 6) voting yes. Alderman Johnnie Ray Kinsey (Ward 4) was absent. Mayor Jeffrey Odham (of Ward 6) also voted yes.
The items included the following upset bids:
-United Worship Center submitted a $3,000 bid for the purchase of the vacant 109-acre parcel with a tax value of $6,000 at 824 Lees Ave.
-Agape Adams submitted a $3,000 bid for the purchase of a vacant 0.118-acre parcel at 1205 Mechanic Street with a tax value of $6,000. It was acquired by the county and city through tax foreclosure in 2025.
-Philip Hedrick submitted a $2,400 bid for the purchase of a vacant 0.045-acre parcel at 606 White St. with a tax value of $4,800. It was acquired by the county and city through tax foreclosure in 2025.
The aldermen also approved the draft minutes from the Nov. 12 28 meeting. The mayor also voted for the motion.
Rezoning
Two Farms, Inc. submitted a request to rezone an 18.092-acres parcel at 3610 Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd. from an Industrial I-1 district to a Commercial C-3. In Oct. 16, the New Bern Planning and Zoning Board decided that the rezoning was consistent with the land use plan and approved a motion to recommend that the Board of Aldermen approve the rezoning with Kip Peregoy (Ward 3 seat), Thomas Brownell (Ward 4 seat), Mike Duffy (Ward 5 seat), Kellie Kiser (Ward 6 seat), Chairman Brad Jefferson (mayor seat — Ward 6) and Marshall Ballard (Craven County ETJ seat) voting yes. The Ward 1 seat was vacant, and Danielle Peoples (Ward 2 seat) was absent. The aldermen adopted an ordinance to rezone 3610 M. L. King, Blvd. from I-1 to C-3 on Nov. 25. The mayor also voted for the rezoning.
New Vision Ministries asked to rezone 2.53 acres at 1506 S. Glenburnie Rd. from Residential R-6 to Commercial C-3. In October, P & Z Board member Mike Duffy asked if it was considered an exception to spot zoning. Development Services Director Jessica Rhue said an adjacent C-3 property was across the street. Attorney Eric Remington spoke on behalf of the church and said it was not spot zoning. He said the church is subdividing the land because they want to build a new facility and they are going to try to sell the parcel. He said they wanted the rezoning so they can get the maximum amount of money for the property. He detailed why the board should consider the request to rezone and said traffic issues would be addressed during the site plan process. The P & Z Board found that the rezoning was consistent with the land use plan and recommended that the BOA approve the rezoning. On Nov. 25, the aldermen adopted an ordinance to rezone property at 1506 S. Glenburnie Rd. on Nov. 25. The mayor also voted for the rezoning.
DGT Ventures, LLC submitted a request to rezone a 10.68-acre parcel at 4301 US Hwy 70 E as Commercial C-3. On Oct. 16, the P & Z Board recommended that the aldermen zone The property was annexed into the city limits in September. City staff said the owner plans to develop an auto center on the property. The aldermen approved an ordinance to rezone property at 4301 US Hwy 70 E on Nov. 25. The mayor also voted for the zoning.
PB & J Property Group, LLC applied to rezone a 0.52-acre parcel at 3328 Neuse Blvd. from Commercial C-4 to C-3 so it could be used as a dog training facility. The P & Z Board recommended that the aldermen deny the proposed zoning map amendment and find the proposed amendment is inconsistent with the land use plans and find that it isn’t reasonable within the existing use of the properties along that side of the Neuse Boulevard.
The aldermen held a public hearing on Nov. 25 and several people spoke in favor of a dog training facility, including one of the property owners, a nonprofit organization who trains veterans and first responders to train dogs to become canine good citizens, a nonprofit animal rescue group and veterans with their dogs. The owners said they didn’t plan on kenneling dogs or conducting outdoor training on the property.
The adjacent property owner said she has lived there for 50 years, and the traffic makes it difficult to pull out of her driveway onto Neuse Boulevard. She was opposed to a change to the C-4 district.
Development Services Director Jessica Rhue said the zoning map could go either way. She said the Board of Aldermen wasn’t being asked to approve the specific facility.
She said a dog training business isn’t defined in New Bern’s table of permissible uses. At the time, the assistant city attorney, the Planning and Zoning Board and staff looked at this being the closest use to a kennel based on the information they had and that’s how it was processed in that direction. She said it was made clear that night that it wasn’t going to be used as a kennel.
She said the P & Z Board found that allowing all of the C-3 uses on that side of the street was inconsistent (with the land use plan.)
City Attorney M. Scott Davis said the zoning request had nothing to do with dog training. “We are specifically not allowed to consider any specific use. We must consider all the possible uses.” He said a gas station, which is a very intense use, may be in a C-3 zone. He said the city may be able to issue a zoning permit in a C-4 district if there isn’t any outdoor use and there is no overnighting.
Alderman Royal said they also had to consider the impact to the residents as well as other variables and suggested that they revisit the decision at a future meeting.
Scott Davis said he planned to meet with staff and the applicant the next day to verify there won’t be outside training or overnight kenneling and if that is the case, then they can get a permit to do daytime training without rezoning.
Jessica Rhue said their challenge was that a kennel and a veterinarian have very specific definitions and dog training does not fit into either one of those combined with the website that suggests there was kenneling is how they made the decision to move forward in this direction. It is not a veterinarian, and it is not a kennel.
“I could have made an argument that this is vet clinic more so than it is a kennel,” the mayor said and recommended that the board table the decision.
Alderman Outlaw said he thought they were talking about changing the zoning. He said, “We’re back talking about a particular use.”
Alderman Ferguson said he believed the use was a toss-up from a legal perspective and thought the city attorney and staff were going to talk about getting a zoning permit the next day. He made a motion to table the request until the next meeting to allow staff to work with the applicant.
Dana Outlaw made a substitute motion, then said he made a motion to approve the parcel as C-3.
The city attorney asked if Trey Ferguson’s motion was going to get a second.
Bobby Aster seconded it.
Ferguson said he wanted to revise his motion to table the rezoning request to their next meeting because he believed staff will report the request is moot because they will likely get a permit, in which case the request would be withdrawn.
Jeffrey Odham called a voice vote. Some ayes were heard. He asked if anyone was opposed and Dana Outlaw said, “I’m opposed.” It’s unclear who voted for what as a roll call vote was not taken.
Alderman Best asked the city attorney if their business could be in a C-4.
Attorney Davis said it could as long as there isn’t outdoor training or overnighting, contrary to their website, then they can do daytime training with a zoning permit.
He said the reason they are there is not to vote on dog training, it’s to vote up or down on whether the property should have the most intense commercial use or not.
Utility bills
Director of Public Utilities Director Charles “Charlie” Bauschard reported on the status of the conversion to Doxim, a new utility bill printing service provider. He said it will better serve the needs of customers and the utilities. The features and benefits include direct response to customer feedback, enhanced summary, graphical features, expanded messaging, electronic online payment portal, customer service efficiency and other things, according to the slideshow.
Aug. 8, 2023 – Presentation on New Utility Billing Format.
Sale of city-owned properties
The Third Property Development & Estate Investment Group, LLC submitted a $5,400 bid for the purchase of a vacant 0.06-acre parcel at 841 Pavie Ave, which is the tax value of the property. The property was acquired by the county and city through tax foreclosure in 2019. The bid was advertised but no other bids were received. If sold, the county will receive $3,517 and the city will receive $1,882.
They also submitted a $6,000 to purchase a vacant 0.116-acre parcel at 841 Bloomfield St, which is the tax value of the property. The property was acquired by the county and city through tax foreclosure in 2006. No other bids were received. If sold, the county will receive $2,231 and the city will receive $3,768.
Ronald Manigault submitted a $3,000 bid for the purchase of a vacant 0.056-acre parcel at 827 Bloomfield Street, which was acquired by the county and city through tax foreclosure in 2017. The tax value is $6,000. No other bids were received. If sold, the city will receive $602 and the city will receive $2,397.
The aldermen approved a motion to adopt resolutions approving the sale of all three properties. The mayor also voted for the motion.
Appointments
The aldermen approved a motion to reappoint John Haroldson, Von Lewis, and Michaelé Rose Watson to the Municipal Service District Advisory Committee. The mayor also voted on the motion.
City manager’s report
The city manager made holiday and event announcements and provided safety tips for cooking on Thanksgiving.
New Business
Alderman Aster said, “as many of you remember that about a year ago the Humane Society and Craven Pamlico TNR project traps and neuters cats throughout the county.”
The aldermen received information about the program during their Sept. 24, 2024 meeting.
He said a new cat colony showed up in the city and he asked for “$1,000 of my ARP funds” to be given to the project. He said, if approved, he would have them call the Finance director and give her the information because she asked if it could be paid directly to the veterinarian hospital or if it needed to be paid to the CP TNR project. He said, “she can call you tomorrow and work that out, if you don’t mind.”
Odham asked if that was his motion and he said yes.
Alderman Kinsey seconded the motion.
Best asked if ARP funds were allowed to be spent on the project.
Aster said yes, he already checked.
Finance Director Kimberly Ostrom said, “If it’s allowed. I’ll go back and look for general purposes.”
Alderman Best said she had a problem with that because there have been times when ARP funds were denied for certain projects. She asked if it was a Craven County organization?
Alderman Aster said it’s a nonprofit.
The mayor called a voice vote. It’s unclear who voted as a roll call vote was not taken.
Editor’s note: Some New Bern elected officials have asked the aldermen to allocate their “ARP funds” for miscellaneous projects during the New Business portion of the meeting. The so-called monies have been marketed as “ARP funds” and “ARP Enabled Funds” as they are federal grant funds. It is not, according to the director of Finance and city manager. In reality, the money is coming from the city’s General Fund, as reported here.
New Business (continued)
Alderman Best also said she has seen a lot of police all over the city today and they are pulling citizens. She received phone calls from citizens saying people are being pulled over.
The city manager directed the assistant city manager to address the question.
Assistant City Manager Marvin Williams said they didn’t have any special projects, but they will increase their police presence due to tree lighting.
The meeting video can be found here.
Meeting videos are available City 3 TV, the city’s Facebook page and the city’s YouTube channel.
By Wendy Card, editor. Send an email with questions or comments.